19 MARCH 23-29, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Buon Appetito! THE TEN BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN DENVER. BY MOLLY MARTIN Pasta, pasta and more pasta. Digging into Denver’s Italian options sent us on a carb- heavy journey to old-school favorites as well as new eateries, and what we found was surprising. Denver’s north side was once the epicenter of Italian fare in the city, and while some red-sauce favorites remain, most of the places that really impressed us this year are much younger than the decades-old staples that once dominated the scene. Some of these relative newcomers do specialize in red-sauce fare, including chicken parm and lasagna, but others have upped the creativity, leaning into seasonal ingredients and incorporating fl avors from other cultures. While all of our picks put their own spin on Italian cooking, they have one thing in com- mon: They each serve up a heavy dose of hospitality along with truly memorable meals. Here are Denver’s ten best Italian res- taurants, in alphabetical order, as well as a bonus pick that offers a hell of a pasta deal: Bar Dough 2227 West 32nd Avenue 720-668-8506 bardoughdenver.com The Culinary Creative Group is a power- house on the Denver dining scene — it’s behind such heavy-hitters as A5 Steakhouse, Señor Bear, Mister Oso and more. At Bar Dough, its Italian spot in LoHi, chef Russell Stippich and his team excel at consistently delicious and creative fare, from pizza and pasta to small plates that highlight seasonal ingredients. The restaurant’s most recent makeover brought in moody tones, making it a striking date-night destination, but it’s equally impressive when you’re sipping an Aperol spritz at the bar during happy hour or indulging in the weekend brunch. Carmine’s Italian Restaurant 92 South Pennsylvania Street, 303-777-6443 1951 Wazee Street, 720-459-8952 carminescolorado.com The original Carmine’s on Penn has held down its corner of Pennsylvania and Bayaud since 1994. When the restaurant opened, it was intended as a place where large groups could converge and enjoy themselves without think- ing too much about what they were eating — ordering big platters of Italian food served family style, which is still the approach today under owner Brad Ritter, who purchased the restaurant in 2006. (Now, though, you can also opt for servings meant for two.) In the summer of 2021, its lighter, brighter sister restaurant, Car- mine’s at McGregor Square, debuted near Coors Field, where it delivers the same crowd-pleasing fare to tables covered with brown paper and adorned with a cup of crayons so that kids and adults alike can color through the courses. Coperta 400 East 20th Avenue 720-749-4666 copertadenver.com In 2016, Paul and Aileen Reilly, the brother-and-sister team behind beloved Uptown eat- ery Beast + Bottle, opened the Roma-inspired Coperta in North Capitol Hill. Since then, Beast + Bottle has said goodbye and the Reillys have opened Apple Blossom in the Hyatt Centric Downtown, but Coperta has remained a neighborhood main- stay through it all. The dining room feels both classy and comfortable, with warm service that makes every guest feel like a regular while they’re digging into housemade focaccia, classic pastas like cavatelli ragu and rigatoni carbonara, and such Coperta staples as the Pollo Alla Diavola, a half-chicken with a side of heat thanks to the addition of Calabrian chiles. Cucina Bella 9660 East Alameda Avenue 720-550-8957 cucinabelladenver.com This eatery debuted in November 2022 in a strip mall on East Alameda Avenue, just west of South Havana Street. That location could make it easy to overlook Cucina Bella, but don’t: The restaurant has some serious culinary skill in the kitchen. Brothers Luis and Heriberto Gutierrez are originally from Du- rango, Mexico, but have been cooking in Den- ver for over two decades. At their fi rst venture as owners, the fi ne-dining-style take on the food belies the plain exterior, and the kitchen’s commitment to quality comes through with every bite. Start with a generous pile of crispy calamari before digging into pizza, pasta and larger entrees like veal marsala. Cucina Bella also offers weekend brunch with nods to the owners’ Mexican heritage, as well as a happy hour with specials on bites and booze. Dio Mio 3264 Larimer Street 303-562-1965 diomiopasta.com Fast-casual no longer means low-quality, and Dio Mio played a big part in changing that defi nition in Denver. Since debuting in 2016, the RiNo spot where you order at the counter has consistently served some of the more creative dishes in town, centered on fresh pasta. Its cacio e pepe with ruffl e-edged mafalde noodles and pink peppercorns is a new Denver classic, while seasonal specialties highlight ingredients such as crab and capers on spaghetti, or cannelloni fi lled with poached shrimp and artichoke. No matter what you order next, start with the always-excellent house sourdough served with prosciutto, stracciatella cheese and balsamic. Gallo Supper Club and Bakery 3470 South Broadway, Englewood 303-353-9917 gallosupperclub.com This Englewood eatery may not be decades old, but despite debuting fewer than fi ve years ago, it has all the markings of a classic. The family behind Gallo is from Sicily, and also owns Dolce Sicilia Italian Bakery in Wheat Ridge. Here the space is split between a bakery counter and a sit-down dining area complete with a full bar. Like many red- sauce joints in town, Gallo serves a savory cannoli stuffed with sausage and strips of jalapeños, but while they’re called “mini,” the hefty bites are a superior take on this regional favorite, with plenty of mozzarella oozing out of the thin dough. As diners dig into such traditional dishes as chicken parm and lasagna Bolognese, the staff marches tray after tray of Italian cookies, lobster tail pastries and sweet cannoli over to the bakery counter, where you can load up on treats to devour at home. Be sure to try a shot of the limoncello, too, made here in the Sicilian style, with the addition of cream for a smoothie-like consistency. Il Posto 2601 Larimer Street 303-394-0100 ilpostodenver.com Il Posto moved from Uptown to RiNo in early 2017, but the new spot carries on the tradi- tion of great Italian cooking started by chef/owner Andrea Frizzi, only now in a two-story space with cozy high-backed booths and a twisty light fi xture made up of 111 Bocci lights. While the decor has a modern edge, the cuisine is pure comfort with some upscale twists. For example, there’s seared calamari stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovy, capers and shallots served swimming in a garlicky San Marzano sugo, as well as fresh pappardelle with a ragu made with Berkshire pork and black oyster mushrooms. Restaurant Olivia 290 South Downing Street 303-999-0395 oliviadenver.com Pasta perfection: That’s what you’ll fi nd at this Wash Park restaurant opened by the culinary dream team of Ty Leon, Heather Morrison and Austin Carson in January 2020. Leon heads up the kitchen, folding pasta into intri- cate shapes, while Carson mixes cocktails and Morrison expertly guides the cadence of the front of the house. The result is a fi ne-dining meal that’s completely worth the splurge, but Olivia also offers to-go options, including take-and-bake lasagna — a pandemic innova- tion that’s become a neighborhood favorite. This year, Restaurant Olivia is planning to expand into the space next door, adding more seating, a larger bar and a private dining room, all of which will allow it to host more events, such as pasta-rolling classes. Spuntino 2639 West 32nd Avenue 303-433-0949 spuntinodenver.com Dining at Spuntino is like poetry. In fact, Elliot Strathmann, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Cindhura Reddy, composes playful poems about Spuntino’s new dishes that he shares on Instagram. Since 2014, this couple has been running the intimate eatery, where hand-rolled pastas and braised meats are the stars, and Colorado-raised goat and creamy arancini (sometimes with Hatch chiles) have become signature items, as have dishes with elements of Reddy’s Indian heritage. At the bar, Strathmann has amassed a collection of Italian amari, the bitter after-dinner spirits (including several CAFE continued on page 20 FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Bar Dough’s menu is fi lled with hits. BAR DOUGH
